Heater for discharge outlets of fluid containers



Oct. 12 ,1926.

L. DE FLOREZ ET AL HEATER FOR DISCHARGEv OUTLETS OF FLUID CONTAINERS u '/I/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII q, z i

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Filed April 15 1923 1N VENTOR L11/'5 De F/orez. Erb/fer d.' M/'che// ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 12, 1926.

UNITED vsTATiszs PATENT oFFlcE'.

LUIS pn nonna, o r Portman-r, eoNNncrIcU'r, am waaraan. ninfomani., or FALL l nrvna, MASSACHUSETTS.

HEATER IOR DISCHARGE OUTLETS F FLUID CONTAINERS.

Application med April 18, 1928. Serial No. 681,887.

This invention relates to containers for viscous fluid and .resides particularly in means for facilitating the flow ofthe fluid from the containers.

The invention is particularly applicable to oil tank cars and, while the invention is not limited to this use, it w i1l 'be described in connection with the sameby -way of illustration.

In the drawing-'f The ligure is a Sectional view showing the deviceI applied to a tank car, only'the lower portion of the wall of the tank bein shown. The ordinary tank car includes a ischarge M pipe for the oil, the discharge from which pipe is controlled by a valve. The invention is illustrated in connection with such a car in which is provided a tank 1 (the bottom only of which is shown in the drawing) hav- 20 ing a discharge pipe 2 and a va1ve`3 which seats in the upper end of the pipe and. controls the How of o il from the tank. 4

A couplin 4 is secured to the lower end of the pipe an from this coupling `a discharge f pipe 5 extends. This cou ling is provided with a thread 6 of such c racter that the coupling may be attached to the thread on the lower end of the pipe 2 of the tank cars now in commercial use.

In order that the discharge ipe may be heated so that the unseating o? t 'e valve 3 and the flow of the oil from the tank will be facilitated, the pipe 2 lis provided with a heater.

In the illustrated form this heater includes an elongated shell 7 which is adapted to extend longitudinally of and within the' pipe 2. This shell is carried by the couplin 4 and is adjustable with relation thereto t rough a 40 stuing box 8 which prevents the vleakage of the oil being discharged.

AA11 injector 9 'extends into the shell 7 and has a discharge opening located preferably near the upper end of the shell. vThis injector is adapted to convey a heat exchange medium, such as steam, into the shell. 1 The lower end of the shell 7. is provided with a valve 10 throu which the chan e medium is disc ar ed.

en'steam is used as t e heat exchan medium the pressure withinthe shell 7 is controllable `by the valve l0 ,which may be opened to various degrees. This lvariation o pressure makes it possibleto control the ative7 tame heat. ex-

" The heating of the" valve greatly facilitates the raising of the same since 1t melts ay ice which may have formed around the v v e from the Water which usually gravitates tothe valve from the oil, and since it reduces the viscosity of the adjacent oil. When the valve is raised the heat penetrates the oil in the tank so that the oil adjacent the discharge opening readily flows from the tank.` Furthermore the heating of the pipe 2 insures the-continued ilow and rapid discharge of the oil, due to the fact that the relhigh temperature of the oil is mainand consequently its viscosity reduced. Y

As has been stated, the coupling 4 is adapted to be attached to the .discharge pipes of tank cars now in commercial use. y.As these pipes vary in length the adjustability of the shell 7 makes it possible to adapt the attachment to the various pipes, and still maintain the upper end of the shell adjacent the upper end of the discharge pipe 2 and thevalve 3.

While the invention has-been described in connection with an oil tank car, it is to be understood that its use is not limited to this, as it may be used in connection with many other containers for viscous fluids. Moreover, the invention is not limited to the particular construction illustrated as many changes may be made therein within the scope of the claims.

We claim:

l. 'The combination with a iluid tank having a discharge pipe and meanscontrolling the discharge from'said tank, of a shell connected withsaid discharge pipe and adustable therein and provided with an outet, and means for in'ecting a heat exchange j shellwithin said discharge pipe having the upper end thereof spaced from said valve, means for connecting said discharge pipe and shell to permit adjustment of the latter in said discharge pipe, and means for iiiljting a heat exchange medium into `said s e 3. The combination with a fluid tank having a discharge pi e, of a coupling attached to the end of sai pipe, a shell adjustably carried by said coupling and extending into the pipe, and means for injecting a heat exchange medium into said shell. I j

4. An attachment for a fluid container having a discharge pipe and a control valve therefor, comprising a threaded coupling, a shell adjustably carried by the coupling, and a heat exchange medium injector extending into the shell, said shell being adapted to heat the zone adjacent the control valve for the discharge pipe.

5. In a fluid tank having a discharge pipe and a valve for controlling the discharge from said tank through said pipe, means for heating said discharge pipe and said valve comprising a shell positioned in said discharge pipe and having an outlet, and means for injecting a heat exchange medium into said shell.

6. In a liuid tank having a discharge pipe and a valve for controllmg the discharge from said tank through said pipe, means for heating said discharge pipe and said valve comprisin a shell adjustably positioned in said discharge pipe and having an outlet, and means for injecting a heat exchange medium into said shell.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification this 2 day of Aprn, 1923.

LUIS DE FLOREZ. WALTER J. MITCHELL. 

